The New Presidential Administration and What It Means for Deportation Priorities

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Feb 17, 2017

The New Presidential Administration and What It Means for Deportation Priorities

Posted By
Guerra Sáenz, PL

Ever since the results of the recent presidential election, thousands of
immigrants across the United States have been living in fear. The new
president’s campaign for office was built on a promise of mass
deportations, using some kind of unspecified deportation force, and a wall stretched
along the southern border which Mexico would somehow be responsible for
funding. His policies also seemed to change fairly often, shifting from
a hardline policy to a more forgiving, empathetic one depending on his
audience and the tone of the public.

The Oval Office’s new occupant has already issued several executive
orders regarding
immigration, implementing the following policies:

Stripping federal grant money from sanctuary cities

Hiring 10,000 more immigration officers

Creating a public list of crimes committed by undocumented people, updated weekly

Increasing detainment

The creation of an office to assist victims of crimes committed specifically
by undocumented immigrants

Constructing a wall, funded by the U.S. government

Hiring 5,000 more Border Patrol agents

Building facilities to hold undocumented immigrants near the U.S.-Mexico border

Ending “catch-and-release” protocols

Suspending the entry of immigrants from 7 Muslim-majority countries

Creating a task force to reduce illegal immigration

During his campaign, the current president proposed a “mass deportation”
of illegal immigrants. He later amended his statement to clarify that
those who have committed crimes or overstayed visas will be prioritized
over other undocumented immigrants, but that all are “subject to
deportation.” People who have entered the country illegally but
have lived in the United States for years without incidence will not be
able to apply for legalization or permanent residency status without being
deported back to their country of origin. He has also proposed denying
birthright citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants born on
U.S. soil, and was interested in “find[ing] out whether or not anchor
babies are citizens.” It’s unknown if the denial will apply
to children who now legally have American citizenship.

While the executive order banning travel from Muslim-majority countries
has been blocked by James Robart, a U.S. district senior judge, the current
administration plans to take the decision to the Supreme Court. As this
government seems to be targeting Muslims as a scapegoat, it is possible
that undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes will be concurrently
deported along with undocumented immigrants of Muslim faith, whether or
not they have committed misdemeanors or felonies.

Legal immigrants of Muslim faith who are here with visas may also find
their application for visa renewal denied. While nothing has been said
publically about denying visas to immigrants from Islamic countries currently
in the United States, those who were outside the U.S. when the executive
order was put into place were prevented from re-entry despite their legally
held and up-to-date visas.

The first large immigration raid of this administration arrested 678 people
in 12 states, only 74% of which had been convicted of crimes. If you’re
concerned about becoming a target for deportation, make sure you have
a lawyer who’ll have your best interests in mind. Contact one of
our Fort Lauderdale immigration attorneys at (888) 936-3228 or fill
out our online form to discuss your case.